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Pilot Lore
The Usual Rules "Life--and space--is dangerous. The usual rules apply.""The Space at Tinsori Light" "As a pilot, the usual rules of behavior on duty are assumed to include a number of things. Let us see--you may number them later if you like, and I will miss some. ... Always know where your ship is and in what state. Always carry an extra weapon--this assuming one always carries two weapons to begin with--your extra preferably one you are willing to use for a last stand. Be prepared to fight ... but be prepared also to run and to be small, for a dead, jailed or administratively restricted pilot flies no ship. When you walk in strange places be aware of those who may follow you, and though sitting with your back to the wall is useful, it is not always sufficient. Always know more than you tell, and share all your secrets, even on your deathbed, only with those who will properly treasure them. ... And, ... except under extreme duress, always perform a pre-flight."Saltation, ch 15 Pilot Hand-Talk Signals * abort that launchSaltation, ch 17 * acceptable?Crystal Dragon, ch 32 * acceptable course?Crystal Dragon, ch 31 * acknowledgment''Crystal Soldier'', ch 5"Out of True" * affirmSaltation, ch 3 * agreement * alertTrade Secret, ch 24 * all eatSaltation, ch 2 * answer (an instruction)Crystal Dragon, ch 11 * apologies to the ship * apology unnecessary * assent ** "He sighed, the fingers of his right hand twitching assent."Crystal Soldier, ch 16 ** "She snapped a two-finger assent"Crystal Soldier, ch 17 ** "flawlessly pilot-signed assent" ** "an assent"Saltation, ch 6 ** "hand fluttering assent, assent, assent"Saltation, ch 20 * attend!Saltation, ch 15 / attend meSaltation, ch 7 * avoid deep knife cuts * be at ease * be there in a few (as in "I will...") ("held up two fingers")Balance of Trade, ch 10 * be there soon (as in "I will...") ("a quick flutter of fingers")Crystal Soldier, ch 18 * best courseCrystal Soldier, ch 22 * best stay course * binjaliScout's Progress, ch 23''Scout's Progress'', ch 30''Fledgling'', ch 31''Saltation'', ch 1 ("It came with overtones of extrafine best ready complete perfection, and a ghostly finger-snap at the very end.")Fledgling, ch 30 * bowli ball after? * budget mine * busy * button quick easySaltation, ch 18 * can't talkSaltation, ch 13 * captain's knowledge (an answer to the question "How do you know?") * captain's privilegeCrystal Dragon, ch 37 * carefulFledgling, ch 35 * careful double watch (two separate signals?) * cash ("Aelliana ran her thumb across the tips of her fingers; the hand-talk sign for cash.")Mouse and Dragon, ch 12 * certified routing * check * check me -- I repeat the information * clarification (a request)Crystal Soldier, ch 32 * clear glide path (also used when taking a new tack in a conversation) * clear lift! * clock * come onCrystal Dragon, ch 14 * come on upScout's Progress, ch 6 * comfortableCrystal Soldier, ch 23 * condition is (used both to announce that one is suggesting an interpretation of the situation, and to agree with such an interpretation offered by another)Crystal Soldier, ch 31 * condition is? (used to request an interpretation of the situation)Crystal Soldier, ch 30 * confirmTrade Secret, ch 9 * continue * continue now * danger * day of many parts * direct and secure * discussion * does not mesh * double usual rules (two separate signals?) * drift * duty acceptedFledgling, ch 42 * eat upCrystal Soldier, ch 28 * excellent progress plans move forward * expectations betray * explainFledgling, ch 40 * feast celebrate joint learning * feigned indecision ("He waggled his fingers -- pilot hand-talk for feigned indecision") * finishedTrade Secret, ch 4 * fix now quick * fly the ship * for clarity * forgiveMouse and Dragon, ch 28 * fragile thingsSaltation, ch 21 * get help * get on with itCrystal Dragon, ch 2 * go good * go onCrystal Soldier, ch 19''Crystal Dragon'', ch 6''Crystal Dragon'', ch 30 * goes well lessons query * going the long way homeTrade Secret, ch 25 * good choice * good lift (a single-hand signal)Crystal Dragon, ch 17 interlude * good plan * help yourself * here for learning * hold (a single-hand signal)Balance of Trade, ch 11 * hold steadyTrade Secret, ch 28 * home * hurryTrade Secret, ch 26 * I rest now * I see youFledgling, ch 41 * idiotScout's Progress, ch 7 * if I may * if time breaks clear could make some for both of us * inadequate prepatory curriculum * incomplete information here query * information offeredCrystal Soldier, ch 20 * information received * information received in clear form * is as is("facts are facts") * is clear * is fine * is good * jetScout's Progress, ch 16 * joke * just a sec (one hand, "fingers wriggling the sign") * later alone ask * listen * lead on (a single-hand movement)Crystal Soldier, ch 8 * maybe, low probability * message received * mine good * mine now * more do not mesh * more or less evenTrade Secret, ch 15 * most urgentCrystal Soldier, ch 6 * move quickFledgling, ch 38 * never * new info just in * newest off-limits * next class * Next right quick time. Left and left. Safe corner door. * next topic * no * no alarm * no danger here ** "both hands plainly in sight, fingers slightly spread in the pilot's sign for no danger here"Mouse and Dragon, ch 18 ** "she raised her hands, fingers spread in the sign for no danger here" ** "hands belt high, palms out, fingers spread in the sign for no threat"Saltation, ch 19 * no threat * noisy obvious unscheduled bad-form non-orbit show-off * none there * north * not * not a problem * not a toy * not for competition * not my job * not today * off-alert ("off-alert, or stand down", also used conversationally to mean "calm down")Trade Secret, ch 2 * old soldier hit bad (two separate signals?) * open windows * operation in progress continues * overlooked obvious * owe you * parting * perhaps * permission to continue ** "A pause then, with ven'Deelin's hands giving permission to continue." ** permission to continue * permission request pilot acknowledge * pilot * pilot duty here is * pilot use only * pilot's choice * pipe downBalance of Trade, ch 6 * plan moving forward * please sit * pleasure friend sharing * point six, point seven, point eight (et presumably cetera) * power pilot double double * preliminary accept * prior pilot sighting * query * query? * query yes? * quiet incoming * receipt acknowledged * regard them as mere passengers * remove please * repeat? * repeat query pleaseSaltation, ch 16 * right (opposite of wrong)Saltation, ch 5 * rock (as in the hard, lumpy stuff asteroids are made of) * rogueScout's Progress, ch 12 * rude * safe journey (a single-hand signal) * saw flight well done * say again? * say yes (a single-hand signal) * seat taken? * seven, six, five, ... (a countdown, implying the existence of other numbers) * sharp thought hold mouth hold * ship waits for no one * silence * sit * slow * smooth (which can be modulated, for instance to smooooothhh) * smooth * smooth face * something to start now, something for next time * squashed fruitwater * stand down * stay close, stay alert (two separate signals?)Crystal Soldier, ch 26 * stop ("Grig flicked a couple of fingers") * STOP ALL (a "slashing" motion) * straight run * "maybe sunless" * talk * thank you * thanksCrystal Soldier, ch 11 * thinking * this again? * this over soon * this pilot clarifies * this will clear * throw me now run catch back toy's bag * time (with a follow-on signal indicating what it's time for) * time out * top landing * touch not jettison flee (three separate signals?) * true * true course * true point * updown * useless * very good * wait * walk * warning zones for graduates * watching * we go * welcome * welcome and listen up * well met * when query * wifechoice * will comply * will repeat suggestion * wind speed * with your permission only * witness fight third one (two or three separate signals?) * would do * yesSaltation, ch 14 * yes thanks * your choice * a greeting or remark about the weather which receives the verbal reply "A very fine morning, to be sure!"Scout's Progress, ch 18 (transcribing and parsing the flood of hand-talk in Fledgling ch 30 is left as an exercise for another editor) An alphabet exists for spelling words that don't have their own signs, such as place names. In Fledgling, Captain sig'Radia says that "Terran pilots will have a different accent from Liaden pilots, and a Scout may bear yet a third accent. However, we may all speak together in an emergency, for the basic signs are held in common." In Balance of Trade, Jethri, though fluent in Terran pilots' hand-talk, could recognize when Liaden hand-talk was being "spoken", but not understand what was said without additional study. References